Radiant heat exchange and acoustical structure for buildings



Nov. 24, 1953 H. R. PITTENGER, JR., ET AL RADIA T HEAT EXCHANGE ANDACOUSTICAL STRUCTURE FOR BUILDINGS Filed July 10, 1950 INVENTORS J'AcrflVilascwaae Hon 4 21) 2. P/rr gee.

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 RADIANT HEAT EXCHANGE AND ACOUSTI- CAL STRUCTUREFOR BUILDINGS Howard E. Pittenger, Jr., Somerville, and Jack D.Verschoor, Martinsville, N. J assignors to Johns-Manville Corporation,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 10, 1950,Serial No. 172,898

3 Claims.

The instant invention relates to a treatment to adapt a wall surface toperform as a heating or cooling element and, more particularly, toprovide a wall surface which, in the heating season, may radiate heat,and in the summer season, may serve as a cooled body to which heat maybe transferred by radiation as well as by convection and conduction.

Radiant heat, as a principal or important means of heating homes andbuildings, has recently been emphasized, the proposals most oftenrequiring hot water or steam lines, or other source of heat, to beembedded in the plaster or the base slab of the room wall. It will beappreciated that the term wall is used herein to refer to the ceilingand floor, as well a the side walls of a room. Such systems operatesatisfactorily where the radiating surface is exposed, but areinefficient if the surface is covered as, for example, in the case wherethe coiling slab is to be used as the radiant surface and conventionaltypes of acoustical treatments which involve fibrous absorbers arebeneath the slab.

The instant invention has for its principal object the provision of animproved system which provides for the incorporation of radiant heatingand/or cooling means in a structure embodying an acoustical system orthe like requiring a false ceiling suspended from the base ceiling orslab.

More specifically the invention has for an object the provision ofradiant heating means embodied in an acoustical system of the type shownin patent to Norris #1,726,500, issued August 27, 1929, and whichconsists of a perforated facing or layer, usually in the form of aplurality of individually mounted sound-pervious metal pans, withsound-absorbing material supported behind the faces of the pans. In theconventional structure the walls or flanges of the pans are engaged inrunners or T-bars suspended from the base wall or ceiling at spacedintervals and a soundabsorbing pad is placed in each pan. In accordancewith the instant invention, improved means are provided for heating and/or cooling the faces of the pans.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a wall structurecarrying an acoustical treatment of the type referred to and includingmeans behind the facing and beneath the soundabsorbing medium totransmit heat to the facing by radiation whereby the facing, in turn,radiates heat to the interior of the room. More specifically an objectof the invention is the provision of a structure including a heatingelement in heat conductive relationship to a member or plate having aheat radiant surface toward and in spaced relationship to the facing.

The sound-absorbing material is placed behind the plate whereby itserves not only as a soundabsorber, but also as a thermal insulator toprevent dissipation of heat by convection or conduction in the plenumchamber between the facing and the base wall.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a system asdescribed above in which the radiant surface of the plate is of highheat emissivity.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of aconstruction as described above in which the heating means is suspendedindependently of the facing.

Our invention will be more fully understood and further objects andadvantages will become apparent when reference is made to the followingmore detailed description of the invention and to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a partial room interior illustrating theappearance of the ceiling treatment;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken through theceiling treatment of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale and with parts brokenaway for clearness of illustration, looking downwardly upon the ceilingtreatment.

Referring now to the drawings, a basically conventional acousticaltreatment is shown including features of the construction disclosed inthe previously referred to patent to Norris, #l,'726,500. The treatmentconsists of longitudinally extending T-bars l0 supported at suitableintervals by hangers l I from a building structure 34 partiallyillustrated in Fig. 2. The T-bars, which are formed of any strong, lightgauge material, preferably steel, support a plurality of shallow metalpans [2, each having upstanding walls or flanges I4 provided withintegral beads Hi for interlocking engagement between the lips of theT-bars. Conventionally the pans are made 12 x 24 and are supported bytheir end flanges, the T-bars being spaced 24" 0. C. However, pans ofother dimensions may be used and the T-bars spaced accordingly. To givea tiled appearance to the ceiling, as illustrated in Fig. 1,

- the pans are beveled at their edges to provide a V-groove I8 betweenadjacent pans and, where 12 x 24 pans are used, a centrally locatedgroove or indentation 26 may be provided to simulate the division of thepan into two square panels.

In accordance with the instant invention,

sound-absorbing material 24 of any suitable type, such as pads orblankets of mineral wool, glass wool, wood fiber, or the like, ismounted above the T-bars to provide room for the radiant heating means,indicated generally at 22. As illustrated, the sound-absorbing material24 may have its edges resting on the bases of the T-bars and its centralportion supported by the heating element 22, although this is notessential, and the absorbent material may be mounted in any othersuitable way. For example, it may be secured by an adhesive or othermeans to the ceiling slab behind the treatment.

The heating means or radiator 22 consists of a heating element, such asconduit 28, adapted to be connected to any suitable boiler or othersource (not shown) of steam, hot water, or the like. Also, an electricalheating element can be substituted for the conduit, it being appreciatedthat the particular source of heat is not critical to the invention. Aplate 30 of a highly heat conductive material, such as aluminum, copper,or steel, is supported in heat conducting relationship with the conduit28 or heating element of other type. Where the conduit is used,preferably it is made of the same material as the plate, and the two aresecured together by welding, soldering, or the like. The under surfaceof the plate, that is, the surface toward the facing, is preferablytreated to give it a high radiant heat emissivity; that is, to reduceits heat reflective property. For example, it and the conduit as wellmay be given a dulling coating, such as black paint, although othersurface dulling coatings or treatments may be applied. The plate 30 andconduit 28 thus constitute a radiator which is supported preferablyindependently of the T-bars by hangers 32 spaced at suitable intervalsand fastened to the base ceiling or slab. It will be recognized that,although the heating element 28 and plate 30 have been shown betweenonly one pair of T-bars, the same construction will be employed betweenother, if not all, of the remaining pairs of T-bars, so that the heatingelements are at the required intervals throughout the area of the room.Depending upon the particular conditions in any given case, the platewill be so dimensioned and supported at such distance from the facingthat the desired radiation will be obtained without unduly interferingwith the soundabsorbing function of the system.

The system described above is particularly designed for heating byradiation and in such case hot water, steam, or the like is supplied tothe conduits 28 and heat is conducted from the conduits to the plate 30which radiates heat to the facing H. The facing, in turn, radiates heatto the room below. It will be recognized that in this system, as in anyradiant heating system, while emphasis has been placed on heatradiation. heat will also travel from the conduit 28 and plate 30 to thefacing by conduction and convection. Also, the room below, althoughheated in part by radiation, will also be heated by convection andconduction. However, the present system promotes the transfer of heat byradiation.

The system is also adapted for room cooling. For example, a medium suchas water at a lower temperature than the room may be circulated 4through conduits 28. In such case plate 30 and facing [2 will bemaintained at lower than room temperatures and heat will be lost to thefluid Within the conduit via the plate 30 and facing l2 by radiation, aswell as by convection and conduction.

The system of the instant invention permits the use of conventionalacoustical treatments with only minormodification. Inasmuch as theheating or cooling system and the acoustical system may be independentlysupported, the systems may be readily installed and removed and alsohigh temperature heating media, such as steam, may be used withoutposing contraction and expansion problems in the acoustical structure.

Having thus described our invention in rather full detail, it will beunderstood that these details need not be strictly adhered to and thatvarious changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilledin the art, all falling within the scope of the invention as defined bythe subioined claims.

What we claim is:

1. A combined radiant heating or cooling and acoustic system for a spacecomprising a building structure, a perforated sound-pervious andheat-radiating metallic facing, means supporting said facing in spacedrelationship with said structure, radiators spaced between said facingand said structure and spaced from said means, said radiators eachincluding a plate in heat conducting relationship with a fluid conduit,and soundabsorbing heat-insulating material positioned between saidradiators and said structure and acoustically exposed to said facing.

2. The construction specified in claim 1 wherein the plate portions ofsaid radiators are flat and extend substantially, parallel to saidfacing but cover a portion only of said sound-absorbing heat-insulatingmaterial.

3. A combined radiant heating or cooling and acoustic system for a spacecomprising a building structure, a perforated sound-pervious andheatradiating metallic facing, means supporting said facing in spacedrelationship with said structure, radiators spaced between said facingand said structure and spaced from said means, said radiators eachincluding a fluid conduit in heatconducting relationship With a metallicelement having a heat-radiating surface, and soundabsorbingheat-insulating material positioned between said radiators and saidstructure and acoustically exposed to said facing.

HOWARD R. PITTENGER, JR. JACK D. VERSCHOOR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,172,771 Norris Sept. 12, 1939 2,180,945 Morey Nov. 21, 19392,221,001 Lucius Nov. 12, 1940 2,469,963 Grosjean et al May 10, 19492,489,130 Harter Nov. 22, 1949 FQREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date321,450 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1929 335,634 Great Britain Oct. 2, 1930639,640 Germany Dec. 9, 1936

